September 25, 2014
Basic 911 Service Supports Public Safety
Government Moves Forward with Basic 911; Announces Fee Regulations
The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services-Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the establishment of fees and fee regulations in the latest step towards the implementation of province-wide Basic 911.
“Public safety is a key priority for the Provincial Government. In keeping with our commitment to expand Basic 911 service, residents throughout the province will have access to 911 by landline and mobile phones, where a cellular signal is available, at a cost of 75 cents per phone line, per month.”
- The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services-NL
This is a cost-recovery fee only, which will be subject to Harmonized Sales Tax. It will be applied once Basic 911 service is expanded, beginning January 1, 2015.
The fees collected will be managed by the NL 911 Bureau Inc. The bureau will be a non-profit corporation at arm’s length from government, managed by a Board of Directors, which government expects to be appointed in the coming months.
“Residents living in areas that already have Basic 911 on their landlines will receive added value by having two 911 centres in separate geographic locations, allowing for redundancy should service in one centre be disrupted. Also, 911 will be available to residents wherever they travel in the province. Once Basic 911 is established, work on Next Generation 911 will commence, which will allow for enhanced technology to be used such as text messaging, data sharing and video.”
- Minister Crummell
Details about the regulations and the telephone fee are contained in the backgrounder below.
More information on the expansion of province-wide Basic 911 can be found online at www.NL911.ca 
or by calling toll free 1-844-659-1122.
QUICK FACTS
- For 75 cents per phone line, per month, Basic 911 service will be available throughout the province.
- The application of a telephone fee to fund 911 is consistent with practice in other provinces and territories in Canada, and the rest of North America.
- The Emergency 911 Fee Regulations were published today. To obtain a copy, please contact the Office of the Queens Printer at (709) 729-3649 or queensprinter@gov.nl.ca.
- Once province-wide Basic 911 service is expanded, it will be available to all residents via landline and/or wireless telephones, where a cellular signal can be accessed.
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Media contact:
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Kelly Maguire Manager of Communications Fire and Emergency Services–NL kellymaguire@gov.nl.ca 709-729-0857, 690-1810 |
BACKGROUNDER
Fees, Regulations and the Expansion of Basic 911
Cost to Customers Beginning in 2015
- The 75 cent fee will be charged per telephone line, per month, and is subject to HST.
- If a customer has multiple telephone lines, meaning different phone numbers, each line will be subject to the fee.
- If a customer has several telephones in one residence, all on the same phone line, the fee will only be applied once.
- Mobile telephone lines will also be subject to this 75 cent fee.
- Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will not be charged per call to 911. The number of times an individual calls 911 will not have any impact on this fee.
Funds Collected by Telecommunication Service Providers
- As per the Emergency 911 Fee Regulations published today, telecommunication service providers are required to;
- Collect the fees from landline and wireless subscribers on a monthly basis;
- Remit the fees to the NL 911 Bureau Inc. minus the portion of the fee which the service provider is authorized to retain for administrative purposes;
- Submit a monthly report containing information such as the amount of fees billed, collected, and remitted, as well as the fees retained as administrative costs; and
- Hold the collected fees in trust, protecting the monies collected on behalf of the NL 911 Bureau Inc.
Management of Funds Collected
- The revenue of the NL 911 Bureau may only be spent on the purposes identified in the Emergency 911 Act.
- There are approximately 600,000 landline and cellular phone lines in the province. Based on this number of customers, the 75 cent fee would result in approximately $5.4 million collected per year, of which approximately $4.9 million will be remitted to the NL 911 Bureau Inc. The remainder would be retained by the telecommunication service providers for their administrative costs.
- The $4.9 million in annual revenue is required to fund the implementation, operation, maintenance and enhancements of the service including:
- Establishment of a new 911 centre in Corner Brook;
- The cost of call-taking at the St. John’s and Corner Brook 911 centres;
- Establishment and operation of the NL 911 Bureau Inc.;
- Recovery by government, over a five-year period, for the startup costs to develop and expand the Basic 911 service;
- Reserve funding for Next Generation 911 implementation;
- Public information and awareness campaigns;
- Training of call-takers;
- Development of standard operating procedures and policies; and
- Public reporting and accountability.
Current Status of 911 Today
Approximately 40 per cent of the province’s population is currently covered by Basic 911 service on landline telephones, and once service is expanded by January 1, 2015, 100 per cent of the province’s population with landline and/or wireless telephone service where a cellular signal is available will have access to Basic 911 service.
Currently, the cost of 911 service is partially offset by taxpayers through Provincial Government subsidies and these subsidies for call-taking will be eliminated once the telephone fee is in place.
Basic, Enhanced and Next Generation 911
There are three types of 911 service, Basic, Enhanced and Next Generation 911.
Basic 911 is a way to quickly contact emergency service providers using a universal and easily accessible three digit number. Enhanced 911 provides additional information to the 911 call-taker, such as the caller’s name and associated civic address. Next Generation incorporates Enhanced 911 and allows emergency services to keep pace with changing methods of communication and data transfer such as text messaging and video sharing.
Once Basic 911 is established, the NL 911 Bureau Inc. will start planning the next critical step, moving directly to Next Generation 911.
2014 09 25 10:35 a.m.